Today's AW-WAD is "holus-bolus" [Day 5]. The theme of the week is "super-duper" [or ricochet] words. "Reduplication". Please scroll down.

The AW-WAD for Day 1 is "airy-fairy".

If you skip through life splish-splash
Life's an airy-fairy bash.
But never flip-flop
Or you'll slip-slop
Through a loosey-goosey, mish-mash.

Hubble-bubble, now there's trouble!
Let's-get-on-it, on-the-double!
Rim-ram
Bim-Bam
Slam-dunk, no more trouble!

Today's AW-WAD is "hubble-bubble".
[Who could resist "hubble-bubble"?]

Limerick rules are no form of trouble
Just three three, plus one and a double
Without any limericks
We'd be out in the sticks!
And poetry all hubble-bubble

When in danger of receiving a slap
From a storm which can alter the map
Just fill a basket
Atisket-atasket
With fistfuls of handy riprap.

Note: The heavy wire baskets [often filled by hand] to contain the riprap are known as gabion baskets. For photos of gabion baskets filled with riprap, pls go to:
http://www.terraaqua.com/bridge.htm

Without any limericks
We'd be out in the sticks!

Hey, Rekno. We're out in the sticks anyway. Or haven't you noticed? :)

But your limerick makes "the sticks" stick out.

Fruffles and frillies and flings
Are niminy-piminy things
They make me so merry
So light and so airy
I could float on butterfly wings.

Note: I must acknowledge my youthful hero [and still my hero today] Muhammed Ali as the inspiration for this butterfly imagery.

Muhammed Ali used to boast: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." And, you know something, it was no boast. He really did "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee".

He lives the poetry that he cannot write. The others write the poetry that they dare not realise. Oscar Wilde

And some few, like Muhammed Ali, realize the poetry which they write.

A 'super-duper' word I know
is the innocent little 'so-so'.
When translated
it's STILL duplicated:
You want some examples - let's go!

In French, 'comme-ci, comme-ça',
The Japanese simply 'ma ma',
And my friend Betsy
Says the Greek's 'etsi-ketsi'
Which is my favourite by far.

...and in Mandarin Chinese it's mama huhu, but I can't face thinking of another whole limerick just for that! My absolute favourite is indeed the Greek and I even use 'a bit etsi' as part of my personal slang to describe something I think is pretty average really.

I find it intriguing how some concepts just cry out for a reduplicative word across all languages. And if anyone can tell me how to say 'so-so' (just another day in the life of a tailor )in other languages, I'd love to know for my own personal trivia collection...

Um, hi everyone, long time no talk! I checked the board out a couple of days ago and was feeling a bit intimidated about coming back on - all these new people! - but this thread I just couldn't resist. Even if I have hijacked the direction somewhat. Plutarch, forgive me, for I have sinned! And will probably sin again, but I hope at least in interesting ways...

Great to see you back, Bridget. :)

Anu's quotations were from 2000 and from Louisa May Alcott. Here's another very close citation, also from the late Nineteenth Century:

...

LUDWIG:
            Now Julia, come,
            Consider it from
                  This dainty point of view--
            A timid tender
            Feminine gender,
                  Prompt to coyly coo--
            Yet silence seeking,
            Seldom speaking
                  Till she's spoken to--
            A comfy, cosy,
            Rosy-posy
                  Innocent ingenoo!
                        The part you're suited to--
                        (To give the deuce her due)
                  A sweet (O, jiminy!)
                  Miminy-piminy,
                        Innocent ingenoo!

...

from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Grand Duke

Holus-bolus, mi-gosh, Holy-cow!
I had it all to myself and look now!
I've been hi-jacked!
Limerick side-swacked!
But my limericks are still holier-than-thou.

Halo, Bridget. :)

And this one is dedicated to all the big kids in the audience:

When something occurs holus-bolus
It's just like mom always tol' us
When the cookies are done
Eat 'em one by one
Or "POOF!" they'll be gone wholus-bowlus.

Yum-Yum. Here they come!
My mom never could get her cookies all the way to the dinner table. But she would try, try, try -- with a twinkle in her eye.